U.form orders new press-hardening line from AP&T for US production

From the left: Sergio Piersanti, project manager; Paolo Montefiore, plant manager and Rachouan Hassine, quality manager at U.form’s facility in Castellalto, Italy. Photo: U.form

Swedish company AP&T has recently received an order from US-based U.form for yet another press-hardening line — the company manufactures car parts for a number of automotive manufacturers in Europe and the USA. The new press-hardening line will be installed in U.form’s production facility in Detroit by the beginning of 2024.

U.form CEO Renzo Triaca said: “With this new line we will be able to improve production capacity, produce new types of parts and increase product array and quality.” It will be the company’s seventh press-hardening line from AP&T; of the previous lines, three are operating in U.form’s facilities in Italy, one in Poland and one in Detroit. Yet another line will be delivered to U.form in Mexico in the autumn.

Mr Triaca added: “AP&T has always been a support when looking ahead to find new technical solutions to the challenges we have faced and has been on our side on the way to entrepreneurial development and growth. We have been working together for many years and found satisfying solutions both for financial and timeline items, so AP&T is a business partner that fully meets our needs.”

Michael Hunger, AP&T’s director and head of sales and marketing Europe is also happy with the long-term business relationship between the two companies. He said: “Naturally, we are proud to once again be entrusted to enhance U.form’s capacity for producing press-hardened parts, this time on the North American market.” The order consists of a hydraulic press with 1,600 tonnes of press force which has the capacity to press large parts, automation equipment, a control system, line integration and commissioning.